Breast cancer, and other forms of cancer, can be effectively treated in some cases by the administration of chemotherapy drugs such as Epirubicin, Docetaxel and Adriamycin. However, one side effect of this drug regimen is therapy induced alopecia.
It is known in the art that a hypothermia cap may be employed to prevent or reduce alopecia in chemotherapy patients. For example, it is known in the art that a hypothermia cap may be worn to induce local vasoconstriction around hair follicles during peak plasma concentrations of chemotherapeutic agents. Without being limited to any particular theory or mechanism or action, it is theorized that the decreased blood flow around the hair follicle lessens or prevents the impact of alopecia-inducing chemotherapy toxins, thus preserving the follicles, and ultimately, the patient's hair. Scalp cooling has been shown effective in reducing alopecia caused by anthracyclines and taxanes, but not when the two are used in combination.
Cooling the scalp to a temperature of +17° C. to achieve a subcutaneous temperature of +20 C (68° F.) constricts the blood supply to hair follicles diminishing or abolishing their perfusion. Thus the high chemotherapy dose delivery during the initial phase of chemotherapy is prevented from damaging the follicles. Further, coldness itself reduces the availability of (chemotherapy) cytotoxic drugs to the cells of the hair follicles by directly reducing their metabolic rate. It is the combined effect of both these mechanisms, induced by cooling the scalp that prevents or reduces hair loss (alopecia).
Currently, the prior art provides a number of arrangements designed to alter the scalp temperature of a patient. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,600, herein incorporated by reference, discuses the use of a cap device to cool the scalp. However, the device described requires the use of a non-disposable liquid coolant system.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,445, herein incorporated by reference, also describes a device for cooling the scalp. However, as seen, the device requires a significant investment in machinery. Furthermore, the system is not disposable.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 7,052,509, herein incorporated by reference, describes a system for rapidly inducing hypothermia. Like the other cited prior art, the device in question is not suitable for a disposable arrangement.
Thus, what is needed in the art is a device for cooling the scalp of a patient that is disposable or easily replaceable. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for a device that does not require extensive mechanical linkages or ancillary apparatus.